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The march of progress is great, but sometimes, it’s a little too fast. A lot of the apps that we used to use back in the day can’t be used now because they are 32-bit apps. The tech world has moved onto 64-bit apps. That’s the case with the OnePlus 12, but there’s a way to still use 32-bit apps on this phone.
Android is in the process of phasing out 32-bit apps. Google has already washed its hands of the technology several years ago, so you can’t download 32-bit apps from the Play Store. However, other app stores were slower to make the switch. This means that it’s pretty hard to play older games like Flappy Bird.
But, you will be able to use 32-bit apps on the OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and that chip only uses 64-bit cores. This means that using 32-bit apps is out of the question. This is unfortunate, as there are timeless apps that are still fun today on newer devices. However, according to a new report, OnePlus has a way to bridge the gap between 32-bit and 64-bit.
This is a method that’s being used by other Chinese companies. That makes sense, as many Chinese app stores still held onto 32-bit apps as recently as a few years ago. You’re also likely to find older apps on other sites across the internet. So, the 32-bit app era isn’t completely over.
The method is called 32-bit to 64-bit Arm Binary translation. It’s through a product called “Tango” from Amanieu Systems, and it’s a way to get 32-bit apps to play on newer hardware. It’s a software answer to a hardware question, and it’s extremely useful. Xiaomi is another company that’s using this method.
Before the OnePlus 12 shipped, it’s possible that this method was going to be much more restricted. Mishaal Rahman stated that the phone could have possibly shipped with a list of select apps compatible with Tango. However, it looks like the list was abolished, so any 32-bit app can run on the OnePlus 12.